Modded 78 P-Bass..?

[Journey55]

Hello, while perusing my local classifieds I came across a bass toted as a 1978 Fender Precision Bass. The serial number on the neck checked up and the seller said he'd send pictures of below the pick guard, neck pocket when he gets back from a work trip on Saturday but i figured I'd ask you knowledgeable people for your first impressions of it. The pickups are the first thing throwing me off, but i could see getting a new pickguard and giving it a stock Jazz setup since it is already routed for the bridge part.

 

[Backstreets]

What is the question?...whether you should buy it or not?

 

[Journey55]

That and, is it real? The pickup spacing/configuration is really throwing me off

 

[JimmyM]

I don't know, man...the neck looks legit, the hardware that I can see looks legit except the pickups, pickguard and knobs (but you knew that!), and it's very possible the body's legit, too, but that finish looks off to me for some reason. Maybe there's not enough red in it? I don't know...could be wrong.

I once did a very similar mod to my 76 Precision BTW, same pickups and everything, except I had it routed to do a 4-knob config. It's a passive PJ now, but I thought it was pretty cool to have a Jazz that looked like a Precision.

 

[A-Step-Towards]

So I bought a late 70's P just like that, it had dual Jazz pickups. I knew that stuff wasnt original but thought the body had been modded like that, turns out the body wasnt a Fender body at all even though the neck was legit. I would say its case, neck, tuners and neckplate are legit. I would want to see stamps of the body before saying it was original, that said with all the modification to allow the body to hold 2 J pickups it being original or a aftermarket body really doesnt change the value much. I would be a buyer on that bass for about $600-800 if it was a great player and had no neck issues, since the neck is worth around $500 itself.